Hypodermic needle sharpening machine



Dec. 25, 1962 D. G. M'ALPAs ETAL 3,069'814 HYPODERMIC NEEDLE SHARPENING MACHINE Filed July 1'7, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 3! 1 29 I/I I I I I I I I I I I I JL 6 5 I ,a v18 16 I 1.5 z 5 13 I 24 9 1:1 1:! 12 10 zav fi 12 h fe e.'7| 3 11 za '1) 29 I I I I I I/I I I I I I I 25 V 3018 .5 i 2a .I O O4 1 15 i Dec' 25, 1962 D. G. MALPAS ETAL 3,069,814

HYPODERMIC NEEDLE SHARPENING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 5 Sheefcs-Sheet 2 Dec. 25,- 1962 D. G. MALPAs ETAL 3,069'814 HYPoDERMIc NEEDLE SHARPENING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 17, 1959 United States Patent fifice 3,069,814 ratented Dec. 25, 1962 3,09,814 HYPODERMIC NEEDLE SHARPENING MACHINE Delmar G. Malpas, 8 Holbrooks Road, and Delmar P. Malpas, 2B Holbrooks Road, both of Fliuders Park, South Australia, Australia Filed July 17, 1959, Ser. No. 827,897 Claims priority, application Australia .'iuly 21, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 51-59) ency for the needles so sharpened to have a burr o r` ragV on the trailing'edge of the sharpened portion when considered in relation to the sharpening tool.

' An object of this invention is to provide a means for sharpening used hypodermic needlesl where the amount of burr or rag is substantially reduced below the amount` present when the needles are sharpened by a rotary wheel or travelling belt.

Medical practitioners, small hospitals and the like, currently use large numbers of needles and discard them when they are blunt. This is a wasteful practice, since the cost of a large number of needles is quite considerable.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for sharpening needles which have been used, the cost of which device is small compared With the cost of a large number of discarded needles.

As is well known, in the sharpening of nstruments, considerable skill is required if the instruments are to be sharpened with a very keen edge, as is desirable in the case of hypodermic needles.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a device which may be used by operators who are not necessarily very highly skilled in the sharpening of instruments.

Brefly this invention may be said to lie in a machine for sharpening hypodermic needles, the Amachine comprising a base, a needle clamp to hold a hypodermic needle, a pivotal mounting for the clamp, the mounting being connected with the base, a removable abrasive member adjacent to the clamp and means for oscillatory movement between the clamp and the abrasive member.

It Will be appreciated that the invention could be applied in a number of4 ways, such as for example, making use of power means to provide the reciprocatory movement between the clamp and the abrasive member, fixing the abrasive member in relation to the base and moving the clamp, fixing the clamp in relation to the base and moving the abrasive member, providing means whereby the reciprocatory movement may be effected by hand, and providing ancillary equipment such as for example, a light and magnifying glass to enable an operator to more clearly see the end of the needle as it is being sharpened. However, in order for the invention to be more clearly understood, two embodiments will be described, one illustrating power operated means to provide the reciprocatory movement of the abrasive member and the needle clamp being fixed to the base, While the second embodiment illustrates a hand operated device wherein the needle itself is reciprocated while the abrasive member is fixed in relation to the base.

The first embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlG. l is a partly sectioned rear elevation of a machine,

FIG. 2 is a similar View from the other side of the machine, and

i FIG. 3 is a section on lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

The second embodiment is illustrated with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, in which:

FiG. 4 is a perspective view of a machine, and

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the machine illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring first to the embodiment described in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the machine 1 comprises a base 2 on which is mounted a motor 3 with a drive pulley 4 connected to a driven pulley 5 by a V belt 6. The driven pulley 5 is coupled to the shaft 7 which is carried in bearings in a support block 8, the end of the shaft 7 being provided with an eccentric 9 fitted with a roller 10, the roller 10 being in the form of a ball race. A bearing block 11 is mounted to the base 2 adjacent the motor 3, and is fitted with a pair of bearings 12 which carry a support rod 13,

mounted therein for reciprocatory movement.

A cylindrically shaped abrasive member 14 is held on the support rod 13 by means of the nut 15, while the other end of the support rod 13 carries a slotted member 16,

the walls of the slotted member 16 engaging the roller 10, The abrasive member 14, while substantially cylindrical in Shape, may be provided with inserts 17 which may them'selvesbe of any shape desired for the sharpening of the fendof a hypodermic needle.

The needle clamp 18 is provided with a needle support member 20 on its one face, so that a `needle inserted through the aperture 21 in the needle clamp 18 is supported for most of its free length, vthereby reducing the tendency for the end of a needle to whip under the i action of the abrasive member 14. The needle clamp 18 is provided with a slotted portion 22, in which is inerted a clamping member consisting of a slidable clamping plate 23 urged upwardly by the clamping Springs 24, but arranged under the influence of the finger o-per- "ated-car`n member 25. When the cam member is operated, the slidable clamping plate 23 moves downwards against Springs 24 to open -the apertures 21 through the needle clamp 18, but when the cam' member 25 is released, the clamping Springs 24 apply a pre-determined pressure against a needle inserted through 'the aperture 21 to hold it firmly in the needle clamp 18 without danger of damage to it due to excessive pressure.

An abrasion pressure spring 27 operates to urge the needle clamp l towards the abrasive member 14, again a predetermned pressure being applied to .a needle With its tip on the brasive member so that the sharpening of the tip will be effective.

A spring loaded release member 28 is arranged to retain the needle clamp 18 in its retracted position, until the release member 28 is pushed inwardly, When the needle clamp 18 will come under the influence of the abrasion pressure spring 27 to move towards the abrasive member 14.

A cover 29 encloses the motor and bearing blocks, and is provided with a shielded light 30 and a switch 31, the light 30 being operated by the switch 31 and having its rays directed on to the abrasive member 14. A bar 32 supports a magnifying glass 33, the position of which may be adjusted, to provide means for-more clearly viewing the tip of a needle when being sharpened.

The frequency of reciprocation may be varied within quite wide limits without seriously efecting the sharpening operation, 'bu-t according to the embodiment described, it has been found convenient to reciprocate the abrasive member at about two hundred complete oscillations per minute.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.

, 4 and 5, the machine again is provided with a base on which s slidably mounted a saddle 38, the saddle 38 being provided with a pair o f finger grips 39 so that the saddle 38 may be reciprocated on the slides 37 by hand.

The support rod 40 supports the abrasive member 14, and holds it firmly to the base, the support rod 40 being carried by the upstanding lug 41 which is itself on the base f2. The needle clamp 18 is mounted to the saddle 33 with a pivotal mounting 4,2, and is urged towards the abrasive member by a spring in a manner similar to that described in the first embodiment.

What we claim is.:

1. A hypodermic needle sharpening machine c'omprising a base, bearings on said base, support means mounted for reciprocatory movement within said bearings, an abrasive member removably mounted on said support means, a slotted member also on said support means, a roller engaged between the walls of said slotted member, said roller eccentrically mounted on a shaft, bearings rotationally supporting said shaft, a motor on said. base, drive means between said motor and saidV shaft, a needle clamp to hold a hypoderrnic needle, said needle clamp disposed adjacent said` abrasive member, a pivotal mounting on said base for said needle clamp, and anabrasion pressure spring between the base and the clamp urging said clamp towards said? abrasive member.

2. A hypodermic needle sharpening machine compri-sing a base, bearings on said base, a support rod mounted. for reciproca'tory movement within said bearings, a cylindrically shaped abrasive member removably mounted on one end of said support rod, a slotted member on` theother end of said support rod, a roller engagedv betweenl the walls of said slotted member, said roller eccentrcally, mounted on a shaft, 'bearing's rotationally supporting said shaft, a motor on vsaid base, a belt drive from said motor to said shaft, a needle clamp to hold a hypodermie needle, said needle clamp disposed adjaeent saidabrasive member, a pivotal mounting on said base for saidl needle clamp, and an abrasion pressure spring be-v tween the base and the clamp urging said needle lxrnp. towards said abrasive member.

3. A hypodermic needle sharpening machine eornprising a base, bearings on said base, support means mounted for reciprocatory movement within said bearings, an abrasive member removably mounted on said support means, a slotted member also on said support means,

a roller engaged between the walls of said slotted member, said roller ecoentrically mounted on a shaft, bearings rotationally supporting said shaft, a motor on said base, drive means between said motor and said shaft, a needle clamp to hold a hpodermic needle, said needle clamp disposed adjacent said abrasive member, a pivotal mounting on said base for said needle clamp, a needle support member on said clamp, needle retaining means within said clamp, and an abrasion pressure spring between the base and the clamp urging said needle clamp towards said abrasive member.

4. A hypoderrnic needle sharpening machine comprising a base, support means reciprocable on said base, a removable abrasive member on said support means, a motor on said base, la shaft journalled in bearings on the base, drive means between the motor and the shaft, an eccentric on the shaft, said eccentric rotationally engaging said reciprocable support means, a needle clamp pivoted to the base, a needle support member on the needle clamp arranged to support a needle for most of its length, and an abrasion pressure spring between the base and 'the needle clamp urrging the needle clamp to-` wards the reciproca'ble abrasive member.

5. A hypoderinic needle sharpening machine oomprisingl a base, support means reciproeable on said base, a removable 'abrasive member on said support means, a motor lon said base, a shaft journalled in bearings onv the base, drive means between the motor and the `shaft, an eccentrc on the shaft, said eccentric rotationally engaging said reeiprocable support means, a needle clamp piv'oted to the base, a clamping member movable in the needle clamp, a clamping spring between the clamping member and the needle clamp urging the clamping member against a needle when inserted in the needle clamp to thereby retain said needle, and an abrasion pressure spring between the base and the needle clamp urging the needle clamp towards the reciprocable abrasive member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATNTS ,453,661 Reynolds June .9, 1891 2, 588,08,9 ;Custis et al. Mar. 4, 1952 2,604,738 Ramey July 29, 1952 2,663,976 Jacoby Dec. 29, 1953 2,838,8,83 Hall June 17, 1958 

